An Indian climate activist who recently concluded a 16-day hunger strike says his battle to protect the ecology of his hometown—an icy desert in the northernmost region of India—is far from finished. Sonam Wangchuk, 58, gained prominence in India when Bollywood actor Aamir Khan portrayed a character inspired by him in the 2009 hit film 3 Idiots.

Wangchuk, an accomplished engineer and innovator, has recently made headlines for his protests advocating for greater autonomy for his home region of Ladakh, which is central to ongoing border disputes between India and China. Until 2019, Ladakh was part of Indian-administered Kashmir, but the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked the region's special status and restructured it into two federally governed territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Although assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month for the first time since the change, Ladakh remains a federal territory without legislative authority. Residents argue this is unjust, asserting the need for their own representatives. They are also concerned about the rapid infrastructural development in the region, which they believe is harming its fragile environment.

Before his hunger strike, Wangchuk and his supporters marched hundreds of kilometers from Ladakh to New Delhi, advocating for more autonomy under a constitutional provision known as the Sixth Schedule to help protect natural resources. After months of failed negotiations between local leaders and federal officials, their protest led to detentions at Delhi's borders, prompting Wangchuk to initiate his hunger strike. He concluded it on Monday after the government agreed to resume talks.